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The Subjugation of the Iron Islands
The Subjugation of the Iron Islands occurred in 370 AC, when forces of the Iron Throne under the command of Edmund I Baelish conquered the Iron Islands with military means, bringing them back under the King of the Seven Kingdoms. The war was incited by the failed conversion of the Ironborn by Petyr II Baelish, who had lost his life in the attempt earlier the same year. Prelude Towards the end of his rule, people began comparing Petyr II to the famous Baelor the Blessed due to his piety. Petyr II wanted that reputation to last, and decided that there was a way to both cement his piety, and bring prosperity to the realm. He believed if the Ironborn could be brought back into the Seven Kingdoms, then trade in the west would increase, and he would be able to convert the followers of the Drowned God. He wasn’t a commander himself, yet he demanded to lead the fleet that sailed on Pyke in 370 AC. The fleet was defeated, and Petyr the Pious was captured and drowned by the Ironborn. As King Petyr II fell, Edmund’s coronation was hastily drawn together by Petyr’s councilors. All about him, the Small Council, first and foremost among them Lord Redwyne, and his petitioners begged the new king to declare war on the Ironborn. While Edmund mourned with the rest of the kingdom, he did not share in their desire for vengeance. While he had lost a father and Westeros had lost its king, Edmund was not eager to throw away the lives of his countrymen. Taking nearly two months to develop a plan of action, King Edmund called his banners and gathered the remainder of his kingdom’s fleet. Now, there would be war. Lying in Wait As the Royal Fleet, commanded by Lord Elwood Chester, the Master of Ships, gathered at the Arbor, the king outlined his plan of attack; by drawing much of the Lannisport fleet away from the city, the Ironborn would be drawn into attacking the city itself, leaving the isles exposed. Naturally, the Westermen objected to this plan; why were they the ones offering themselves up as bait? Edmund pointed out that as long as the city was still mostly defended, it was unlikely the Ironborn would send out a full assault. Grumbling, the Westerlands submitted to King Edmund’s plans and did as he asked. As predicted, the Ironborn immediately sent reaving parties to attack the West. While Lannisport itself remained untouched, the surrounding peasantry wasn’t so lucky. Once he received word that the Ironborn had reached the West, King Edmund finally ordered the attack. The Battle of Gravehand's Shoal Scouts intercepting the advancing mainland fleet, Lord Greyjoy hastily assembled the remaining ships in the Isles and sent his Lord Admiral, Lord Harras “Gravehand” Drumm. Take an audacious plan, Harras attempted to lead several of his ships through a sand bar to flank the invaders. Unfortunately, the Gravehand underestimated the effects of the tide, running nearly a fourth of his fleet aground before managing to get into position. With a large portion of the Iron Fleet taken out of the battle before it had truly even begun, the Master of Ships led the Westerosi fleet to a fairly easy victory. Leaving the marooned Lord Admiral until the end of the battle, the ships were lit aflame from afar by throwing torches and shooting fire arrows. The strait, a graveyard filled with charred corpses and blackened hulls, became forever known as the Gravehand’s Shoal. The Three Days After making short work of the Iron Fleet, King Edmund spared no time in setting up a siege around Pyke. Hastily drawing up siege equipment, Edmund had no desire for further bloodshed. Despite most of councilors encouraging the new king to storm the walls and install a new power in the Isles, the King negotiated a tenuous peace over the course of three days. Any house that pledged fealty to House Baelish and the Iron Throne would be allowed to keep their fleets. Reaving would be outlawed against the mainland, though their right to reave against foriegn powers remained. To the disappointment of many, King Edmund allowed the Iron Isles to keep their Drowned God, and turned a blind eye to the Ironborn practice of thralldom. To seal the pact, King Edmund married Victaria Greyjoy, a daughter of Lord Greyjoy. Bringing the Ironborn to King’s Landing to witness the marriage and swear him fealty in front of the Iron Throne, King Edmund had managed to integrate the Ironborn back into Westeros, even if it did cost him the favor of some of his other subjects. Never having wanted the conflict himself, King Edmund dismissed Lord Gyles Redwyne as his Hand, as he had been the main proponent of the war, and replaced him by his kinsman and childhood acquaintance Brynden Baelish. The Exiles A small coalition of Ironborn lords, led by Lord Saltcliffe, refused to accept Greyjoy’s surrender. Denouncing the Kraken as a coward and a traitor, the small faction of rebels knew they stood no chance against reclaiming their independence. Instead, Lord Saltcliffe claimed to have been sent a vision by the Drowned God, showing a great paradise awaiting them in the west. Setting sail with a dozen lords of varying stature, the Ironborn sailed off into the Sunset Sea, never to be seen again. Category:War Category:House Baelish Category:House Greyjoy